Are they all connected??

[sassiegyrl]

Hi, I am not sure where to post this and had a question. I have been diagnosed with IC, IBS, endometriosis, adhesions, chronic sinus infections, chemical sensitivities, dry eyes and others. then now today I was diagnosed with TMJ. :headbang:
I am wondering if they are all connected some how?
Thank you for reading this

[h808]

based on what i've read on here, a lot of people would say they are most definitely connected. hopefully someone else will respond soon...

dealing with these kinds of problems are hard, but this forum is a great source of support.

hugs.

[jen74]

Yes. I also have IC, IBS, chemical senstivities, and digestive issues. I believe it is a faulty immune system which is keeping us sick and causing all these issues. You are not alone.

[kadi]

My IC specialist, who is a researcher at a large teaching hospital, told me "Yes, they are all connected" and he called it an "autoimmune cascade". Personally, I prefer waterfalls for my cascades....

I have IC, multiple food and antibiotic allergies, IBS, occasional random skin rashes no doctor has been able to explain, pelvic floor dysfunction, extremely dry skin and dry eyes.

[sassiegyrl]

Thankyou all for your replies. Nice to know I am not the only one out there with a cascade of stuff going on.

[KarenAnne]

There are ongoing studies for this, the NIDDK has a big one going. Besides IC, I have fibromyalgia, IBS, migraines, multiple food & enviromental allergies, TMJ, PFD, eczema, anxiety.

[Natty]

I have IC, severe dry eye, tmj, and suspect pudendal nerve problem. Who knows but it is driving me crazy!

[Briza]

Hi, I am not sure where to post this and had a question. I have been diagnosed with IC, IBS, endometriosis, adhesions, chronic sinus infections, chemical sensitivities, dry eyes and others. then now today I was diagnosed with TMJ. :headbang:
I am wondering if they are all connected some how?
Thank you for reading this

Systemic inflammation? The connection may be that they are all inflammatory issues.Your body is trying to tell you something. An anti-inflammatory diet would probably help.

[farmwife]

I agree that they can all be related. Since you have IBS have you considered the possibility of gluten intolerance. I found out almost by accident that gluten was the main cause of my flares. Something to consider.

[sassiegyrl]

Thanks for the replies. It is getting very frustrating with being diagnosed with everything. I am going to try either an anti inflammitory or gluten free diet.to see if that helps. Thanks for the ideas:smile tee

[earthlady]

There is a condition that a lot of gastro drs. don't test for yet but involves an excess of mast cells in the colon. It's called mastocytic enteritis and can only be detected by a biopsy with a specific stain during a colonoscopy. Makes you really wonder about the inflammatory response, as many people also have a proliferation of mast cells in their bladder. The treatment is to stabilize and regulate the mast cells just like we do in the bladder. I definitely feel there is a connection between IBS and IC in a lot of people. Mast cells, inflammation, histamine response, immune system,- seems there must be a connection somewhere.

[tpronti]

Briza, what kind of diet do you follow? Where you tested for food allergies?

[Briza]

Hi
I'm following a gluten free vegan diet--no animal products and almost no processed food. I eat whole fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts. I was on a strict anti-inflammatory version of this diet for a couple of months and return to the strict version whenever I get a pain flare. This has seriously worked for me--after three weeks my pain was 80% reduced, and flare ups now are rare and very short lived--just a day or two rather than months on end of nonstop pain like I was dealing with for over two years before I started the diet. THe vast majority of my days are completely pain free now. :) This diet has changed my life!
I've not been tested for allergies and don't plan to as long as I continue to feel better.

[sassiegyrl]

I have not been tested for food allergies. I have been tested for other allergies such as grasses, pet dander and molds. As one allergist told me that if it is green and grows you are pretty much allergic to it. As far as a diet, I have been staying away from msg and nutrasweet. Some foods also sends my bladder into a flare so I stay away from those too. Now I am trying to decide what type of diet to follow, gluten free, anti inflammatory or ??

[farmwife]

If you are allergic to "anything that grows" I would think gluten would be a good thing to avoid. If that doesn't help you could go to the more drastic diet--or you could do an "elimination" diet where you start by eating only a few foods that are completely safe and add things back in one at a time. I have never done that--it seems it would take such a long time. Eliminating gluten also improved my sinus symptoms. I still avoid my other "trigger" like tomato, msg, artificial sweetners etc.

[Briza]

That's a good point, Farmwife.

Elimination diet was very helpful to me. I ate strictly for one month and then added things back in one at a time to see what my reaction would be and determined the following:

Soy and msg cause me a return of pain within an hour
Soy also gave me a severe headache before I had finished my meal
Dairy (just two creams in my coffee) made my face swell up within 12 hours
Gluten gives me severe spasms in my abdominal wall muscles (within 1 to 24 hrs) that means no more beer :(


Before I began this anti-inflammatory diet I had no idea just how swollen and puffy my face was! It took cleaning my diet up really good to determine all of these things.

[Briza]

Now I am trying to decide what type of diet to follow, gluten free, anti inflammatory or ??

Why not do both at once? That way you can determine any and all of your sensitivities thru one elimination diet. THere's plenty of info available on the net on how to do one but I'd be happy to forward you information on the one I followed. You wouldn't have to remain vegan, as I have chosen to, but it would require cutting out all animal products (including dairy) plus gluten and all processed foods for one month before you enter the testing phase of the diet.

I chose to remain vegan because it turns out I'm really enjoying this way of eating and like how I'm feeling and what I'm reading about the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

[sassiegyrl]

Thanks

[farmwife]

Briza, Redbridge and New Grist are both gluten free beers. I am not really a drinker, but I do bake & cook with gf beef occasionally. They don't seem to bother me, but I suppose the alcohol itself could irritate someone' bladder.

[skshadix]

Totally agree on the immune system issue. I am sick all the time I have 3 active infections as we speak. Sinus infection, UTI, infection in a bad wisdom tooth and of course a huge Yeast infection from taking 3 different antibiotics. I have IC, IBS, CMV, Fibromyalga, HPV and I am sure there is more so sick of being sick i could scream.

[sassiegyrl]

I am so tired of being sick too. I have decided to eliminate wheat from my diet. I started doing it shortly after my original post. I have noticed that my sinuses are clearer and I feel better over all. there was one day that I caved in and had some wheat bread. a big mistake. Oh the pain I was in all over including my sinuses. So back on the no wheat for me diet. but I have noticed that Dairy does not seem to bother me :smile tee

[Briza]

Hey, that's great! I'm glad you saw some improvement! :) And fast, too.

[sassiegyrl]

Thanks:angel:

[sassiegyrl]

Hello again, Since starting my wheat elimination diet I have also cut dairy out of my diet. Wow what an improvement I have seen. I have lost 5 pounds too! Yeah!:) Now I am looking for new recipies to try.

Next on my list to take care of is getting my TMJ under control. My jaw still hurts months after my diagnosis. My dentist says to not eat anything sticky, crunchy or chewy.

[rjyoon]

I have a whole string of problems. I'm still in search of the unifying cause of all of them.

[ChrisNes]

Hey, I have all of that and more.

If you find out anything let me know.

[Briza]

[QUOTE=sassiegyrl;605661]Hello again, Since starting my wheat elimination diet I have also cut dairy out of my diet. Wow what an improvement I have seen. I have lost 5 pounds too! Yeah!:) Now I am looking for new recipies to try.

QUOTE]

That's great! I know that for me cutting out dairy has been the most important thing in reducing pain and inflammation and also has made losing weight a lot easier!
Keep us posted on your improvements :)